This class focuses on the processes that form and modify landscapes, climates, and ecosystems. It includes interrelationships among the atmosphere, water, earth and life, with emphases on the concept of Earth "systems", the principles of mapping, the patterns of weather and climate, the Earth's internal structure and plate tectonic theory, the hydrologic cycle and erosion, and the processes operating in Earth's surface and near-surface environments.

Learning Outcome/Objectives:

Upon completion of the course, students are expected to have a comprehensive understanding of:

The concept of systems science, articulating components including open and closed systems, equilibrium and feedbacks, with daily life examples for each component;

The principles of mapping including scale, projection, map generalization, and map distortion;

The formation of the solar system, Earth-Sun relationships, and their effects on the energy budget of the Earth;

The interactions of energy and moisture within the atmosphere that results in the formation of weather systems and the basic weather symbols/common weather patterns used in a typical weather report;

The concept of climate, anthropogenic climate change, and the impact of climate changes on surface environment;

The Earth's internal structure and plate tectonic theory and their implications for earth-transforming processes including earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and mountain formation;

The hydrologic cycle, groundwater system and the process of erosion, as well as the influences of human activities on the function of these systems through diversion, manipulation and use of water;